Political science is the systematic study of governments, of the methods by which governments seek to control people, and of the techniques through which people try to influence government. It is a science that attempts to connect the "micro" level of individual lives and actions with the "macro" level of collective circumstances and consequences. This book introduces the basic ideas of political science. Contents: Towards a Systematic Conceptualization of Politics Concepts of Decision-Making and Action Concepts of Human Association Developing Conceptual Acuity